tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431555212964585861.post2882305826433892417..comments2023-10-26T09:26:01.709-05:00Comments on Man Stuff: It's All About Me . . .Men's Networkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00825600454919571039noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431555212964585861.post-8852910309789263912010-03-29T11:47:36.663-05:002010-03-29T11:47:36.663-05:00I’m one of those “frequent travelers” who essentia...I’m one of those “frequent travelers” who essentially always travels on business. I have to say, I don’t much like traveling. It’s just part of my job. Don’t get me wrong. I like my job. I just don’t like the travel part of it. I’m looking forward to the time when we can, like Star Trek, just beam to where we are going. I don’t mind being places. I don’t mind meeting with business people. I don’t even mind staying in hotel rooms. I just don’t like the hassle of the travel part. It used to be better before we had to go thru metal detectors, x-ray scans, empty everything out of our pockets, take off our shoes, sometimes get padded down by a guard, and be concerned that someone might want to kill you while you are in flight. Thanks a lot Muslim terrorists! It was better when flying time included a nice snack, and friendly service by a cute stewardess. And it was better when there was reasonable leg and seat room on the plane with pillows and a blanket. Ah, the good ole days.<br /><br />Sorry. I’m digressing. About traveling. Since I have to do it often, and I’m usually just wanting to get there without any more confusion or effort than necessary, I get somewhat frustrated with travelers who seem self-centered. Yes, I have elite status on some airlines. So I sometimes get first class upgrades. And, yes, I often get preferred seating, and early boarding privileges. But not always. And I’m still offended by some travelers who don’t seem to play by the unwritten rules. For example. How about the person who has seats near the rear of the plane, but stores his bags in the overhead near the front of the plane? Then, when I get on the plane near the front, there are no spaces left to store my bags. Or, how about the guy who spreads his body over the armrest into your seat without even an “excuse me”? Or, what about the person who assumes that his loud music isn’t bothering everyone around him, just because he happens to be using a set of earphones? And it seems to me that if you are traveling with the “kitchen sink”, maybe you should consider checking it, instead of trying to squeeze it in that overhead rack. As much as I hate those little regional jets, (the seats are similar to sitting on a concrete block) the nice thing about them is that there is very little overhead storage room. So a bag of almost any size bigger than a brief case has to be at least gate checked.<br /><br />Times have changed in other ways as well. It was only recent years that I’ve experienced huge delays and cancellations for “weather” when the sun was shining brightly, entire terminal evacuations for security breaches, flight attendants throwing up in the galley, landing gear wheels falling off on takeoff, and a myriad of other minor discomforts. Maybe I’m just getting old. But travel used to be more enjoyable – in the “good ole days”.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8431555212964585861.post-55972487286385211822010-03-25T23:10:13.201-05:002010-03-25T23:10:13.201-05:00A few months ago my wife was going to take a plane...A few months ago my wife was going to take a plane ride to Florida. She and I arrived at the airport just as they were flicking off the ticket counter lights and walking out the door. The first conversation started out with, <br />"You might as well go home, you are to late, this is no time to be arriving." This comment came with about a twenty-five minute to departure timeline and by the Grace of God, attitudes did soften as the airline went into a service mode that they must have trained for. They hustled off her bags to security while still working the computers. We hurried down to the security gate just in time to hear a voice asking my wife to come back for her boarding pass. That return trip must have been good for four minutes. With a very short hen-peck and a hug I know she didn't have five minutes to spare. I then waited in the parking lot for the plane to leave still wondering if she was on the plane or looking for me. And then the cell phone ran and she said goodbye! .....God is good huhh?The Laymanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16541336142205205632noreply@blogger.com